School Head Bans Sun Cream For Kids, Saying 'Hats Are Enough'

A school has taken the drastic step of banning sun cream for young children, suggesting that the amount applied before school should be sufficient.

The policy puts the children's health at risk, particularly given our current heatwave. The headteacher has asked parents to get their children to apply sun protection before they leave for school, and provide sun hats to keep them covered. The school also claims it has plenty of shady areas.

Claire Quince, a mother at the school, is considering taking legal action to ensure her daughters aged seven and five are allowed to take sun cream in. Both are fair-skinned and have a skin condition that makes them more sensitive to the sun.

"We had a letter from the acting head saying sun cream will not be applied by teachers and will not be allowed in school,' she said. 'My daughters are able to put it on themselves and have been brought up to put it on. I want the maximum protection for them."

The school in Ysgol Bro Sannan in Aberbargoed, in South Wales, has so far declined to comment on the matter. Julie Barratt, director of the CIEH in Wales, supports it by claiming the policy is set out to avoid teachers being accused of inappropriate behaviour. This doesn't seem to explain why children can't apply their own though.

Caroline Cerny of Cancer Research UK said: 'Our recommendation to schools is to allow children to bring in their own suncream and supervise its application. But we recognise that this can be difficult.'